May 2016 Newsletter

The monthly membership meeting of the Yellowstone Region SCCA was called to order by Regional Executive Dean W. Johnson on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at 5:53 p.m., in the GH&R Law Firm conference room.

Minutes of Previous Meeting: A motion was MS&P to accept without addition or correction the minutes of the March 2016 meeting as published in the April 2016 issue of Fast Times. There was no membership meeting in April.

Treasurer’s Report: Secretary/Treasurer J. Reuss reported the current checkbook balance and noted that all bills have been paid. A motion was MS&P to accept the Treasurer’s Report.

Old Business: J. reported that he has been in contact with Yellowstone Drag Strip and that two events at the facility have been scheduled for 2016 .

New Business/Announcements: Dean noted that with the departure of Chris Brewer, the Region is down to only one Solo Safety Steward (SSS). Since a SSS must be present at all events, it would be prudent to have at least one backup. See our SSS Instructor (J.) if you are interested.

A discussion was held regarding event fees for 2016. A survey of the other three Regions in Montana revealed that entry fees for non-members is uniformly $40. Entry fees for members ranged from $25 to $30. It was decided to keep entry fees for members at $25 and increase entry fees for non-members to $40.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:35 p.m.

Off-Season Wrap-Up

By the Newsletter Editor

The Region will be awarding trophies this year in the form of the attractive, 3-color, 15 oz. beverage glasses pictured below. The glasses–which feature the Region’s new logo–will be awarded to each class winner as determined by the timing software. FTD and PAX winners will only receive one trophy, but runners-up in their respective classes will receive trophies.

The Region has also ordered t-shirts which feature the Region’s new logo. 4″ logos appear on the front of the white t-shirts and 12″ logos appear on the back. The t-shirts are being printed by Dynamic Designs in Laurel and are scheduled to be delivered prior to the YDS event. Buy a shirt and proudly support your Region! (Pricing to be announced.)

MyT13B’s Corner

From the Regional Executive

The 2016 season kicks off next weekend with an event at the Yellowstone Drag Strip in Acton, MT. I will be there with my newly-restored E-Modified Mazda RX-7.

The Region’s Facebook page indicates that over 30 drivers plan on attending. That should make for a great start of our season. Looking at the 30-some people who are planning to attend, I see several Mustangs and Camaros that will likely occupy the Classic American Muscle (CAM) classes. In the traditional classes, there should be a wide variety of Hondas, Volkswagens, Mazdas, and a few American sporty cars as well.

Since we are able to run more that one car at a time at Acton, corner workers will need to be extra attentive. Let’s be sure to have a safety-conscious event.

As you will note from the photo below, the bodywork on the RX-7 is finished and painting is complete. I eagerly await the “shakedown cruise” next Sunday!

D.W.J.

Race Notes

From the Competition Chair

The Region bids a bittersweet “adieu” to our long-time R.E. Chris Brewer as he leaves the Treasure State and returns to the Land of Lincoln. Chris, his wife Sarah, and his daughter Betty, leave this Friday for Springfield, IL.Chris has worked tirelessly for the Region and deserves our heartfelt thanks and best wishes. I, personally, have learned an incredible amount from the fellow Miata driver. We wish the Brewers well in their new endeavors and hope they will keep in touch!

T.S.

The Finish Line

From the Webmaster

The roll-out last month of the Region’s first e-newsletter went fairly smoothly. The only reported glitch(es) related to the newsletter ending up in a few recipients’ spam folders. I will put some sort of warning on the website to alert folks signing up for Fast Times of that possibility. I am also working the kinks (and dead links) out of the new website. The only complaints I have received relate to how long it is taking to get events posted!

On the home front, I have the new 15″ wheels and tires mounted on the $300 Civic. As it turned out, spacers were needed at all 4 corners to fit the 8″ (rear) and 9″ (front) 949 Racing 6UL wheels. The 225/45ZR15 Hankook R-S3s are treadware 140, but since the car runs in X-Prepared, that is not a problem.

I have been making slow (but steady) progress on the new hood, but it will not be ready in time for the first event. However, the Team has decided to enter the car at YDS anyway to begin the shakedown process. As a practical matter, not having a hood in the way while addressing leaks and other “teething” problems might be beneficial.

After many years of procrastination, I finally installed an E-Track tie-down system in the team’s hauler. I will be using 2″ ratchet straps over each wheel with “roller idlers” to facilitate the low-clearance situation presented by both the Civic and the Z06. I spaced the E-Track so that it should work with both vehicles.